


Breathe across the Palms

by ceruleansmile



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Feral behaviour, Head Injury, M/M, but not really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-15
Updated: 2015-02-18
Packaged: 2018-03-13 01:09:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3362174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ceruleansmile/pseuds/ceruleansmile
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU: Finally, Jim's flashlight illuminated a tall Vulcan male, standing a few metres away. The Vulcan's hair was dishevelled and stuck to his forehead in some places, crusted with dried blood. His clothing was torn and he seemed unsteady as he crouched down in a defensive stance. "Uh…," Jim cleared his throat and tried again, "Hey, big guy. You alright there?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. looking out the window

**Author's Note:**

> This little story was supposed to be a One Shot to be uploaded on Valentine's Day. It turned out to be over 9000 words long and I ended up splitting it into three chapters, to post over the days leading up to Valentine's Day. I sadly forgot to post it on here, so I will be doing so now! 
> 
> The idea behind it was born from me reading through the article on Sehlats on Memory Alpha, and this: "The novelization of "Yesteryear" (in Star Trek Log 1) states that sehlats originated in the rainforests of Vulcan's southern hemisphere." caught my eye. Sooo... this happened!
> 
> It's cheesy and an overdone trope, but I wanted to try writing it. I apologise for errors, I did my best to edit it and Bibbi did her best to find whatever errors I could not! 
> 
> Enjoy! (P.S. Star Trek does not belong to me!)

The northern hemisphere of Vulcan was, in essence, a stretch of boiling hot sand, decorated with the shimmering, elegant spikes of various cities. The southern hemisphere, however, was peppered with large mountains and was the home of some of the most eventful weather phenomenon on Vulcan. And in its very centre existed the planet’s only rainforest.

Said rainforest was only able to grow due to the monstrous rock formations surrounding the area, which created a unique environment that allowed clouds to form and rain to fall in quick intervals, and in addition worked as protection against sandstorms. However, because of yet unidentified reasons, the rain had failed to arrive for the past four weeks.

Which was why Jim was currently being dragged through yet another embassy by his mother. Because, clearly, an ambassador was needed when Vulcan requests help from Earth’s most prestigious botany lab and inquires about the possible addition of a Terran meteorologist, just to be sure. It was ridiculous.

After all, how much political impact could losing a bunch of plants possibly have?

Jim grunted when his mother pushed him to sit in one of the basket chairs standing at the very edge of the embassy’s balcony. The rainforest was a sea of lush greens and dark, dark purple off to the right, and Jim finally understood why it had been given the name _Masutra t’Laplar_.A field of what looked like _waneti_ blossoms to the left, adding an almost surreal air to the landscape.

It looked almost like something out of a dream.  

“Stay here.” Jim jerked away when Winona’s index finger invaded his vision. “I’ll see why no one’s been alerted of our arrival, yet. If I find out that you moved off this chair, I will leave you at home next time. I don’t want a repeat of last year’s debacle.”

Jim huffed. “I’m eighteen, Mom, not five. It’s not like Vulcan’s that interesting, either. We’ve been here over a hundred times.”

Eyebrows high on her forehead, Winona leaned down as her mouth curved into a smug smile. “Being a certain age has never kept you from doing something dangerous, Jimmy. And, may I remind you of a certain someone who threw a tantrum when I said they might not be able to accompany me? We both know you’ve never been to this side of Vulcan before, don’t even try to tell me you’re not intrigued.”

Averting his gaze, Jim shrugged. “I was just curious about the _sehlats_. No big deal.”

Winona laughed, ruffled Jim’s hair and retreated back into the embassy, leaving Jim to glare at the intricately designed banister.  A movement from the edge of the forest drew his gaze away from the curling metal rods. Narrowing his eyes, Jim attempted to find whatever had distracted him. A second later, Jim’s mouth opened in surprise at the figure darting through the thicket. Scrambling to his feet, Jim dashed forward, leaning over the balustrade as far as he dared.

Still, whoever they were, were too far away for Jim to distinguish any sort of telling features. All Jim could tell was that they were most likely Vulcan, judging from the way their motions carried an almost feline grace. Then again, no Vulcan he had ever seen had willingly allowed their perfect posture to slump into something resembling the prowling hunch of a large cat.

Not to mention that Vulcans generally did not seem the kind to stalk through forests for absolutely no apparent reason.

The stranger journeyed along the edge of the rainforest, before vanishing into the thicket. Brows furrowed and lip wedged between his teeth, Jim waited for the strange Vulcan to reappear. Five minutes went by, but the Vulcan did not return.

With a shake of the head, Jim pushed away from the banister and brushed his hands over the front of his knee length robe to straighten out the wrinkles. And here Jim had thought he would be able to escape the boredom that plagued his day. It was not to be, it seemed.

“-me, I would have rescheduled! The last thing you need is to worry about negotiating about a bunch of plants on top of all this, Sarek!” Winona’s voice sounded from the hallway beyond the balcony door, carrying a note of urgency.

Jim shuffled forward, peering into the hallway.

His mother stood in front of the open doors leading to the large meeting hall at the end of the hallway. Her short hair was in disarray and her cheeks brightened by two spots of colour that spoke of slight agitation. Jim furrowed his brows as a familiar Vulcan with greying hair stepped through out into the hallway beside his mother. Ambassador Sarek looked as unruffled as ever, even though the slight crease between his brows was a tad disconcerting.

As was the way Sarek’s wife, Lady Amanda, was clinging to her husband’s elbow, her shoulders shaking with the force of her sobs.

“I assure you, Winona, it was my intention to inform you as soon as possible of what had occurred. However, my wife and I were occupied with trying to find whoever was responsible for the attack while simultaneously attempting to locate our son. It was difficult to focus our attention on anything else.”

Jim frowned. _Attack?_

Violence was a rare thing to come across upon Vulcan. Not surprising, considering that logic was always placed above emotional outbursts and the law enforcement was more than efficient. Intrigued and a little anxious, Jim abandoned his post and shuffled down the hallway towards where his mother stood.

Winona sighed, her shoulders sagging. “I understand, Sarek, I’m sorry for my outburst.”

“Mom?” Jim cleared his throat when his voice came out raspier than expected. “What’s going on?”

The fact that his mother actually jumped at hearing his voice made Jim’s stomach twist with unease. What had happened to make her so jumpy?

Winona turned to face him, a tight smile on her lips as she reached out to touch his cheek. “Oh, darling, I’m sorry for ignoring you.”

“Mom.” Jim grit his teeth. “What happened?”

Winona opened her mouth, but it was Sarek who spoke up instead, “27.6 hours ago, our son was attacked by an unknown party while travelling here via his personal hover car. By the time the security team arrived, the attackers were gone and so was our son, Spock.”

Sarek’s voice had not wavered once, his face betraying not a hint of distress. That was the funny thing about Vulcans; they had a tendency to turn into robots once their hidden emotions threatened to overwhelm them.

Amanda gave a soft whimper, covering her mouth with one hand as the other reached for her husband’s to hold onto. Jim averted his gaze when Sarek’s eyes softened and the Vulcan moved to touch his free hand to his wife’s cheek. “Amanda, _ashayam_ , _nam’uh hayal_. We will find him.”

Jim did all he could to keep his eyes from straying towards Amanda. While he had crossed paths with her at a few of the diplomatic banquets Winona had taken him along to, Jim was not comfortable watching the usually so composed woman lose all her bearings.

Directing his attention to his mother, Jim took in the strained lines marring the skin around her mouth and eyes. Sarek’s explanation had not been very informative, but the atmosphere was thick enough for Jim to guess just how dire the situation truly was. His thoughts flashed back to the strange Vulcan he had seen only minutes before.

Jim’s eyed widened. _Could it be?_

“Mom?” Jim said, keeping his voice quiet to not disturb Sarek and Lady Amanda. “Was it a kidnapping? I mean, what if Spock escaped and is hiding somewhere-”

Winona shook her head and grabbed Jim by the shoulders. “Listen, darling. This isn’t something you should worry about. We’re dealing with something that goes beyond a simple attack done by a dissatisfied group of troublemakers. Which is why _you_ , young man, will go down to the entrance hall and find Ivek, so she can take you back to the hotel. You’ll be safer there.”

Jim huffed. “I’m not a little kid anymore, Mom. And this is an embassy, even the toilets have security measures! Just let me-”

“Jim, I’m not arguing with you about this.” Winona pressed a hard kiss to his forehead. “Now go. I’ll comm. you once the situation’s clearer. It might take a while, though. I love you, Jimmy.”

Hands clenched into tight fists, Jim sighed. “Love you too, Mom.”

With a last glance at Sarek and Lady Amanda, Jim stepped away from his mother and made his way towards the staircase leading down to the main floor.

Finding Ivek was not difficult, seeing as the Vulcan female seemed to possess some kind of sixth sense and honed in on Jim as soon as he stepped into the entrance hall. Either that, or Ivek took her current job as glorified babysitter much too seriously.

Probably the latter.

Jim tilted his head up to meet Ivek’s eyes when she came to stand in front of him. She had bundled her sleek, black hair into a loose knot atop her head today and even added a golden hair needle to decorate it. It was an interesting contrast to the uniform she was wearing.

It was only the fact that Ivek had been Winona’s personal assistant for over fifteen years, that kept him from feeling in any way intimidated by her tall stature and the obvious strength she possessed. Not to mention that, for a Vulcan, she had been surprisingly easy to charm into looking away whenever Jim ate four cookies instead of the two Winona had allowed him back when he was a small child.

“Mom said you should take me back to the hotel,” Jim mumbled, rolling his eyes when Ivek tilted her head in question. “Said it’s not safe for me here.”

“Very well.” Ivek nodded. “Please, follow me and do not leave my side.”

Jim did as told. The one time he dared not to, Ivek had picked him up as if he was a small child and carried him past a delegation of diplomats before dumping him in the backseat of Winona’s hover car.

That had been four months ago.

Stepping out of the embassy, Jim suppressed a groan of annoyance at the temperature outside. The air was thick with moisture and the only relief was the slight breeze ruffling Jim’s hair. Glancing towards the right, where the rainforest loomed, Jim thought he saw a glimpse of the strange Vulcan, but they were gone before Jim could make certain.

The inside of the car was blessedly cool and Jim shut his eyes with a heavy sigh as he listened to Ivek getting in behind the wheel. With a soft hum, the hover car came to life and turned his head to squint through his lashes.

The main city of _Svitan_ , settled as close to the rainforest as possible without risking disturbing the wildlife, was lit with blood red light by the sinking sun. Its buildings were kept close together, like in most Vulcan cities. However, instead of shooting into the sky like upright needles, they were kept more compact and rounded to allow rainwater to slide off more efficiently without getting caught in unnecessary crevices.

Fifteen minutes was all it took for them to reach their hotel, and another two to reach the quarters they had booked. Jim was left to his own devices once he had entered his own room, Ivek having moved into the kitchen to prepare dinner. Due to Jim’s erratic allergies, Winona had taken to booking rooms with an implemented kitchen, just to be absolutely certain nothing that might cause Jim to swell up or turn violet would make its way into their meals.

Flopping down onto his temporary bed, Jim heaved a loud sigh. Of course, the one time he might have been able to actually experience something exciting upon Vulcan, something had to go wrong. Additionally, that stranger he had seen at the forest’s edge kept sneaking into his thoughts. His brain longed to solve the mystery behind the nameless figure, making his legs twitch with the need to move.

Two hours. Two hours Jim would wait, then he would go out to investigate whatever it was that was going on in that rainforest.

Ivek called him for dinner half an hour later, and when Jim stepped into the living room area, he found her already seated at the kitchen table. If his mother had been there, Jim would have been allowed to lounge on the sofa while eating, but Ivek insisted on having dinner at the table. Jim suspected it might have to do with the fact that he tended to drop at least one fork- or spoonful of food onto himself, whenever he ate on a couch.

Once they were both finished with their meal, Jim retreated back to his room and began to fill a small backpack with things he deemed necessary for his excursion. A flashlight, his intergalactic driver’s license, two bottles of water, his communicator and his raincoat, just to be sure, were stuffed into the backpack.

Winona and Ivek would be furious with him. But Jim needed to see if his theory might be true, even if Jim’s motivation was not entirely an unselfish need to return a lost son to his parents. It was more a need to prove to his mother that he could be helpful and not just a nuisance that broke expensive vases by accident.

If he _did_ end up bringing Spock back home, however, he would consider it a pleasant side effect.

Sitting back onto his haunches after zipping his backpack shut, Jim ran a hand through his hair. So far, so good. Now, he just needed to figure out how to get past Ivek.

In the end, Jim was lucky. Ivek had settled down in front of the large windows in the living room to meditate at some point, and Jim knew from experience that nothing short of dumping water over her head would wake her, not even the loud jingling of the car keys.

On shaky legs, Jim made his way through the large hotel down to the parking lot. Sliding in behind the steering wheel after unlocking their rented hover car, Jim took a moment to breathe in deep and program the navigational system. The last thing Jim needed was to end up getting lost. Again.

With a last glance towards the hotel, Jim manoeuvred the car out of the parking lot and onto the street. The night sky was alight with a myriad of stars and Jim was almost tempted to stop the car to admire the sight.

Upon reaching _Masutra_ _t’Laplar_ , Jim questioned whether or not his idea had been that brilliant to begin with. The forest that had been so colourful during daylight, had transformed into a wall of black shadows and rustling leaves. With a shake of the head, Jim parked the car as close to the embassy as possible without setting of the proximity sensors, before exiting.

At least the temperatures were no longer in the tropical region, even though the air was still heavy with moisture.

Locking the car and making sure he had not been seen, Jim made his way towards the edge of the trees. Flashlight in hand, Jim let the bright light glide over the thicket in front of him, furrowing his brows as he tried to see if anyone was hiding just beyond the treeline. After a few minutes, Jim realised that the stranger might have left the area already.

Jim sighed.

So much for being a certified genius.

Shoulders slumping in disappointment, Jim turned away, ready to drive back to the hotel and hopefully get there before Ivek surfaced from her trance. A soft growl off to the right made him freeze in his steps a second later, muscles tensing as he tried to locate the source of the menacing sound.

Finally, Jim’s flashlight illuminated a tall Vulcan male, standing a few metres away. The Vulcan’s hair was dishevelled and stuck to his forehead in some places, crusted with dried blood. His clothing was torn and he seemed unsteady as he crouched down in a defensive stance.

“Uh…,” Jim cleared his throat and tried again, “Hey, big guy. You alright there?”

 _Brilliant question_ , Jim thought. _Absolutely brilliant. Of_ course _he’s not alright, I’m an absolute dishmop._

The Vulcan offered another growl and Jim took a step back, biting his lip when the Vulcan inched forward. Coming here must have been one of the worst plans he had ever followed through on. Now Jim was standing in front of an insane Vulcan, who would, most likely, end his life in the next ten seconds and there was no one around to safe his sorry ass.

It was stupidity at its finest.

Maybe he could try calling for help? The embassy was relatively close, so someone might-

The Vulcan darted towards him with a snarl and Jim shut his eyes with a feeble squeak, which he would deny uttering until his dying day. A hot breath ghosted across Jim’s forehead, a broad hand clamping down on his upper arm. The scent of wet earth and copper filled Jim’s nose and when curled fingers caressed his cheek, he dared to open one eye to squint at the Vulcan.

Dark eyes stared back at him.

Jim swallowed, then opened his mouth, “Are… are you… S… Spock?”

The Vulcan’s eyes widened for a brief second, as if in recognition, and Jim felt excitement rush through his chest, a smile threatening to curl his lips upwards. A strange warmth seeped filled his head and he felt the tension seep from his muscles. However, his joy did not last long. Without warning, the area was flooded by a bright light and a questioning shout cracked through the air.

Spock reacted like a startled _sehlat_ ; roaring at the threat before fleeing.

Jim barely had time to understand what was happening, before he found himself grabbed around the waist and slung over Spock’s broad shoulder. A second later, the Vulcan broke into a run, carrying Jim into the dark forest.


	2. it feeds on the heat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here is the second chapter of this plot-less little story! :)

Jim was not sure when he lost consciousness or why, but the next time he opened his eyes he found himself staring at the root-covered inside of a small cave. The small hollow he had been placed into was cushioned by moss and he could hear the sound of a waterfall coming from close by. Sitting up, Jim inspected his surroundings until he discovered his backpack lying by the cave’s entrance, bathed in the sunlight filtering in through the curtain of vines obscuring the outside.

There was no trace of Spock, however.

Heaving himself out of the hollow, Jim crawled towards his backpack and pulled one of the water bottles. Washing the stale taste from his mouth before taking a sip, Jim attempted to figure out how to get out of the miserable situation he had gotten himself into.

Setting the bottle of water aside, Jim began to search for his communicator. If he was lucky, he would be able to call someone and get help. Jim activated the small device and sighed heavily. No signal.

Of course.

Dropping the phone back into his backpack, Jim ran a hand through his hair and stretched out his legs with a groan. There was no way his mother would ever take him along ever again. If he ever got out of this damn forest, of course.

A lump of fear settled in his stomach, tight and heavy. Had Spock abandoned him? Was that wannabe Tarzan even Spock? It had been a while since he had last seen the Vulcan, at least ten years or so. Spock had been a very serious eleven year old back then and not at all inclined to deal with an overexcited eight year old like Jim.

The vines rustled, scaring Jim out of his musings and prompting him to scramble away from the entrance.

Spock stepped through, arms full with, what Jim thought, looked like _gespar_ and _kray_ fruits, but he could not be sure. The Vulcan settled down onto the ground and let the fruits roll out of his arms. Jim kept his mouth shut as he watched Spock peel the bumpy skin off a _gespar_ , the purple juice staining elegant fingers.

Once he was done, Spock held the fruit out to Jim. Still apprehensive, Jim hesitated for a moment before reaching out to accept the offering. At least he had not turned out allergic to Vulcan cuisine, otherwise he would be in even bigger trouble than Jim had initially assumed. Biting into the fruit with a muffled ‘thank you’, Jim ate, both eyes trained on the, for now, docile Vulcan.

Dragging his communicator out of his backpack once more, Jim checked the picture of Spock he had downloaded onto the device for that exact same purpose. It had been too dark to properly identify the Vulcan last night, the light of his flashlight not enough to make absolutely sure. Apart from the blood crusted hair and the absence of logic in those dark brown eyes, the Vulcan was definitely Spock.

“These are good,” Jim said, hoping to break the awkward silence, and lowered the half-eaten fruit as he put away his communicator.

Spock looked up and tilted his head, brown eyes devoid of anything that might have clued Jim into what the Vulcan was thinking. No answer was given, and Spock returned his attention to the fruits. Eyes trailing over the gash marring Spock’s forehead, Jim made a careful guess that it was the reason for the Vulcan’s inability to communicate properly.

Spock moved, shifting closer and pressing a peeled _kray_ against Jim’s lips. A little confused, Jim opened his mouth, chewing dutifully after Spock deposited the fruit on his tongue. With a pleased hum, the Vulcan nodded and returned to peeling more fruits.

It was bizarre.

As he continued to eat, Jim did his best not to freak out. He was in the middle of nowhere, with a concussed Vulcan feeding him fruits and a useless communicator. At least Spock was nice to look at. Even if the head wound was a worrisome sight.

After finishing their meal, they spent some time darting around each other. Spock seemed just as unsure about Jim, as Jim was about the Vulcan. Although Spock’s wariness appeared to be of a more protective kind, a need to ascertain that Jim would not cause _himself_ harm in some way.

From time to time, the Vulcan would approach to touch Jim’s hair, or finger the dirtied fabric of his jeans. It was a strange kind of dance. Jim allowed it, seeing no harm in indulging the curious Vulcan. It was refreshing, in a way, to see someone who belonged to a species ruled by logic and restraint so carefree.

When Jim grew thirsty, he drank from his water bottle again and was surprised when Spock reached for it. At least the Vulcan’s head was not completely broken, then. That was a relief, albeit a small one.

At some point, Jim spoke up once more, “So, uh… Spock, any reason why you’re hiding in a cave?”

The Vulcan hummed, gathering up the peels to toss them out of the cave. Jim huffed, waving his arm through the air. “Do you understand what I’m saying?” he leaned forward to peer at Spock’s face.

Jim did not even see Spock’s hand dart forward, fingers wrapping around Jim’s wrist to keep his arm still. More surprised than genuinely shocked, Jim did his best to stay still to ensure that he had not frightened the Vulcan in some way. Not that he _actually_ believed that Spock thought him to be in any way dangerous, considering that the Vulcan had thrown him over his shoulder and carried him off like a sack of potatoes a few hours ago.

The odd warmth he had felt once before seeped through the contact, settling in the back of his head and Jim felt his fear drain away. Licking his upper lip, Jim tried again, “You _are_ S’chn T’Gai Spock, right?”

The Vulcan’s grip tightened for a brief second and Jim smiled when Spock gave a slow nod. Alright, at least his theory had been proven correct. Now, Jim just needed to figure out how to make Spock understand that they needed to return to the embassy. Which would prove difficult, considering what had happened last night.

Spock moved closer, nostrils flaring as the Vulcan tilted his head downwards to bury his face against Jim’s throat. Mouth hanging open, Jim sat frozen for a long moment and then began to push at Spock’s shoulder. “Okay, big guy, how about you explain some things first bef-”

Spock _whined_ and Jim’s mouth snapped shut in shock. Pacified, Spock continued to nuzzle at Jim’s neck, uttering an assortment of wordless huffs and growls. Eyes directed at the ceiling, Jim did his best not to laugh whenever Spock’s scruff tickled his skin. At some point, Spock seemed satisfied with whatever it was he had been doing, and Jim breathed a sigh of relief when the Vulcan leaned away.

“Okay,” Jim whispered, “Okay. Listen, uh, Spock, we need to get back to the embassy. Do you understand? I need to go back to my Mom, so I can go home. You want to go home, too, right?”

The Vulcan outright frowned at him, slanted eyebrows shifting downwards as Spock’s hold on Jim’s hand became just this side of painful. Hissing, Jim attempted to tug his wrist out of Spock’s tight grip and yelped when the Vulcan, instead of letting go, gave a hard tug. Jim ended up pressed against Spock’s chest, now more than done with what was happening; he was not _a toy_!

Jim wiggled, doing his best to get Spock to loosen his death grip, which proved difficult with a heavy Vulcan hand pressing down against his back. Finally, Jim had enough of being manhandled, “Spock, stop!”

The change was instantaneous. Spock released Jim’s wrist and removed his own hand from Jim’s back, allowing Jim to scramble off the Vulcan’s lap. Straightening out his rumbled clothes, Jim shot a glare towards Spock and gave a tiny laugh when the Vulcan offered an apologetic whine.

“It’s fine,” Jim soothed. “Just don’t do that again.”

Spock nodded.

“Good.” Jim rubbed at the reddened skin around his wrist. Stupid Vulcan strength. “So, what was that about? Don’t you want to go home?”

The Vulcan furrowed his brows, lifting a hand to touch the wound on his forehead, an almost pathetic expression growing upon the Vulcan’s face. “Is it because you’re hurt?”

Spock shook his head, then stood, clearly frustrated, and walked out of the cave without further comment. Jim gaped, then jumped to his feet and hurried after the Vulcan.

The forest was an assortment of colours. Dark purple leaves twined with bright greens, while thin, blue vines crawled up the thick, brown trunks of various trees, adorning them like ornaments. Jim stood mesmerised for a long second, eyes gliding over the enormous, yellowish blossoms sprouting out of the ground and spreading their fan-like petals across the red earth.

Shaking off the spell the sight had cast upon him, Jim twirled on the spot to figure out where Spock had disappeared to. Off to the left, Jim finally spotted a tousled mop of raven hair and broke into a jog to catch up to the Vulcan.

“Spock!” Jim reached out as soon as he was close enough to curl his fingers into the ripped fabric of Spock’s shirt. “Slow down. Where are you going?”

The Vulcan turned to look at him, one hand coming up to touch Jim’s cheek. The picture of a waterfall flashed before Jim’s inner eye, startling him. Of course, he was aware that Vulcans were touch-telepaths, but not even Ivek, whom he had known since he was a child of three, had ever dared to touch his mind. Not even for the briefest of seconds.  

Yet Spock, whom he had never truly talked to, had decided, somewhere in that scrambled brain of his, that Jim was trustworthy.

“Water?” Jim asked, unsure. “You… want to… have a bath?”

Spock inclined his head, clasped his hand around Jim’s wrist, gentler this time around, and began to pull Jim along. A bath would be nice, Jim decided. He was feeling a little grimy and there was fruit juice all over his hands. Yes, a bath would definitely be nice right now. Even if it was in some hole in the ground.

Spock led him to a small pond, hidden within an assortment of smooth rocks. A tiny waterfall chased a constant ripple across the clear water, half obscuring the colourful stones covering the ground.

Jim barely had time to admire the view before he was forced to shut his eyes. Spock had let go of his hand and begun to strip.

Hands covering his face, Jim listened to the sound of fabric dropping to the ground and finally the distinct splashing of Spock entering the shallow pool. Peering through his fingers, Jim found that the Vulcan had moved towards the waterfall, and allowed the water to wash off the dirt and blood covering his shoulders. Averting his gaze, Jim took a deep breath and began to divest himself of his clothing.

He was not shy, far from it, but this was a little too intimate. After all, the last time he shared a bath with someone, he was two years old and still putting bubble crowns onto his brother’s head.

Placing his clothes onto a sun warmed rock, Jim shuffled towards the edge of the pool. The water was pleasantly cool, a welcome change to the hot air around Jim. Sitting down, Jim began to scoop water up with both hands to wash away the sweat and dirt sticking to his skin. Too focused on removing every stain he could find, Jim noticed too late that Spock had abandoned his spot by the waterfall to sidle up beside him.

Curious hands brushed over Jim’s bare shoulders, cold from the water. Whipping his head around, Jim was about to tell Spock to keep his hands to himself, when the Vulcan decided to lean forward and nip at the curve of Jim’s shoulder. A shudder trickled down Jim’s spine and his ever active brain began to calculate whether the current situation was in any way ethically acceptable. Spock, after all, was not in his right mind. Right?

The Vulcan decided to not mind Jim’s internal struggle and began to brush his broad palms over every inch of skin they could reach. It should have been awkward, but Jim could not bring himself to move away from the soft touches. Spock’s hands worked in a gentle petting motion instead of the invasive, explorative kind of way Jim had expected.

Spock did not seem in a hurry, inspecting every mole, every freckle he discovered. Finally, Spock cupped Jim’s face between his large hands, thumbs brushing over the thin skin beneath Jim’s lower eyelids. There was something like wonder in the Vulcan’s eyes, the green-tinted lips parted.

Jim’s gaze was drawn to the gash above Spock’s brow, drooling a sluggish trickle of diluted blood down the side of Spock’s face where the scabbing had been disrupted. Once Jim had determined that the wound was not going to split open, he directed his attention to the Vulcan’s features, taking in the sharp edged face, the straight, yet prominent nose, and the soft brown eyes.

Spock was handsome, Jim decided.

Spock seemed to preen, eyes narrowing as his mouth curled at the edges as if to smile. Jim huffed, “Reading minds without permission is a no-no, Spock. We don’t do that, okay?”

Reaching down, Spock grabbed onto Jim’s hand to bring it up to his own face. Jim chuckled, shaking his head. “I’m not a telepath, Spock. I can’t read your thoughts.”

The Vulcan did not seem deterred and Jim wondered if Spock had simply not understood, or was just a very stubborn person. Probably the latter. With a sigh, Jim settled his palm against Spock’s cheek. His fingers scraped across the hint of a stubble growing along the edge of Spock’s jaw and Jim smiled when Spock leaned into the contact.

There was a strange sense of tranquillity in the air, all sense of haste banished by the quiet splashing of the waterfall and the sound of Spock’s breathing. Something stretched between them, growing from Jim to Spock, and from Spock to Jim. Something old, yet new, twining together like yarn made gold.

Jim’s vision grew foggy, Spock’s face swimming in and out of focus. There was a loud thrumming sound between his ears, similar to the buzzing of electricity travelling through a cable. Visions of a night sky splintering apart above dunes of white hot sand filled Jim’s mind, a thousand bells ringing as the stars fell like rain.

The sensations seemed to last an eternity, and when Spock’s hands dropped away, Jim felt it linger at the back of his head.

“What happened?” Jim asked, dazed.

His hand was still pressed against Spock’s cheek, a combination of confusion and excitement seeping through the contact. Spock did not answer, instead reaching for Jim’s other hand, brushing their fingertips together.

Jim felt his face grow hot.

“Spock?” his voice would not go above a whisper.

The Vulcan’s eyes had darkened, a hint of minty green colouring the tips of his ears and the sharp line of his cheekbones. Spock leaned in and Jim let his eyes flutter shut. Their lips brushed, nothing but the slightest of touches, but it caused the strangeness in Jim’s head to flare to life, bright and hot, like a new-born star.

It left Jim breathless, his mind so overwhelmed and his limbs so weak, not even Spock picking him up to carry him back to the cave made him wish to move. Only when the Vulcan placed him back into the hollow, did Jim find the strength to come to.

Spock had cushioned the hollow further by placing their clothes over the pile of moss, apparently very much at ease with being naked in front of Jim. _Not that Spock had anything to hide or be ashamed of_ , Jim noted. On the contrary. From the numerous glimpses Jim had caught, the Vulcan appeared well equipped.

Curling into a loose ball, Jim waited until Spock slipped into the nest behind him. Now that the odd trance had worn off, Jim’s brain started to come online once more and allowing every worry he had to come back to the surface. As if sensing Jim’s struggle, Spock gave a soothing hum, wrapping his muscular arms around Jim, pulling them closer together. To Jim’s surprise, the contact did not add to his discomfort, but calmed him instead.

“You know,” Jim said, “This is all kinds of weird.”

Spock hummed again, sending a pleasant shiver down Jim’s spine when he tucked his nose behind Jim’s ear and huffed out a hot breath.

“Seriously,” Jim continued. “I don’t even know you, and now we’re cuddling naked. And the weirdest part is, I don’t mind. It’s almost like we’ve known each other for a long time. But that’s crazy, I mean, you probably don’t even remember me. Well, maybe you do, I kind of spilled _plomeek_ soup all over your fancy suit. That’s memorable enough, I guess.”

There was a definite sense of amusement coming from Spock now.

“Are you laughing at me? You’re totally laughing at me on the inside, aren’t you?” Jim turned his head to face the Vulcan. “Seems like your head’s not as scrambled as I thought, huh, big guy?”

Spock nipped at his ear.

“Ugh,” Jim sighed, dropping his head back down. “Once you’re back to normal, we’re gonna talk about that biting thing of yours. You can’t just go around doing that to strangers.”

Jim felt Spock return his nose to the spot behind Jim’s ear and tighten his arms around Jim’s middle. Since he had been dressed before, Jim had not noticed that the inside of the cave was cooler than the outside, providing an environment that did not threaten them with heatstroke. Although he doubted Spock was in any way prone to those in the first place, even with half of his genetics being human.

Spock’s body began to grow heavy against Jim’s back, indicating that the Vulcan was in the process of falling asleep. Jim, too, felt sleepy, the slow breathing and the thudding of Spock’s heart threatening to drag him down into a deep slumber. He did not fight the impulse for long.


	3. open to the sun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to update yesterday, but I fell asleep in the middle of watching The Hobbit while in bed... :D

The next day, after another long bath, Jim found himself following Spock through the colourful jungle. The Vulcan moved like a cat, sure-footed and efficient. Jim, on the other hand, kept stumbling over roots and the small rocks that were halfway sunken into the soft ground.

Still, it was an exciting experience for Jim.

Birds chirped away above him, butterfly like insects the size of Jim’s head fluttered past from time to time and there was a constant buzzing sound in the air. Every time Jim thought he had discovered everything, something new caught his eye.

All in all, it was a good thing there was so much to watch out for, otherwise Jim would have been staring at Spock’s backside the entire time.

Because, while Jim had opted to wearing his jeans and shirt, Spock had foregone putting on any of the items Jim had first met the Vulcan in. Which meant that there was now a concussed Vulcan prancing about the jungle in nothing but his birthday suit.

Alright, so he might not be _that_ focused on the exotic trees and animals around. But how could he, if the sunlight kept dancing across Spock’s muscles and the greenish tint of the Vulcan’s skin made Jim want to take a bite out of those mint-coloured abdominal muscles.

He wanted to smack himself. This was not the time to fantasize about Spock. The guy had a freaking _head wound_ and they were in the middle of a Vulcan rainforest. And Jim had learned at an early age that wandering around Vulcan was not something one should do unprepared.

Truly, Jim wondered how long they would be able to survive out here before a hungry _sehlat_ decided to stroll around the next corner and have them for dinner.

Shaking his head to himself, Jim did his best to dispel the disturbing thought. For all he knew, Spock would be able to kill a grown _sehlat_ with his bare hands even though he was injured and a little out of it sometimes. Not to mention that Vulcans were a few times stronger than the average human being.

Still, it genuinely confused Jim that no one had yet discovered them. After all, whoever had seen them, must have drawn the connection between Jim and Winona’s rented car parked close to the embassy by now.

Otherwise, Jim would have to start questioning the general intelligence of Vulcan guards.

And even _if_ no one had connected the car and Jim, every decent person would at least try to search for the guy who got kidnapped by a Vulcan with a bleeding head wound, right?

They must have been walking for half an hour at least, when Spock stopped and tilted his head upwards. Looking around, Jim noted that they had entered a clearing. The ground was covered in long grass, fencing the stream flowing past them, slow and steady. Fruit trees grew all around them, a number of overripe _gespar_ littering the grass.

“Is this where you’ve been getting the fruits from?” Jim asked.

Spock nodded and began to scale the tree closest to him. Jim watched with wide eyes as the Vulcan settled on a thick branch, and began to select the ripest _krays_ to carry back down. The fruits were placed down in front of Jim, Spock brushing his hands over Jim’s cheeks before dashing away again to climb another tree.

That was another odd quirk that Jim had noticed about Spock. The Vulcan would always touch his cheeks or arms, as if to reassure himself that Jim was still present. The thought made Jim’s chest squeeze inwards, the sensation almost painful.

After a minute of watching the Vulcan cavort from branch to branch, Jim stripped out of his shirt, using it as a makeshift bag to place the collected fruits into. Once done, he shifted towards the stream and peered down into the water. While he doubted something like piranhas existed upon Vulcan, he did not want to risk having his toes nibbled on.

When it became clear that there was not a single fish within the water, Jim dared to wade into the stream to cool his aching feet. Had Jim not been aware of how dangerous their current predicament was, he might have been able to enjoy the tranquil atmosphere and the beautiful landscape properly. But, at the moment, Jim was more occupied with worrying about how to get them both home.

As of now, Spock had refused to even listen when Jim proposed that they should go back towards the embassy. No amount of explaining and begging at changed the Vulcans concussion addled mind. Instead, Jim had received a number of whines, hisses, and even a lick of the shoulder for his troubles.

Bending down, Jim cupped his hands to splash water into his face to counter the sweat beading on his forehead. Hopefully, Spock would be done gathering fruits soon. While it was not excruciatingly hot, the humid air was difficult to breathe in.

Wiping at his eyes, Jim moved to get out of the stream, yelping when he slipped and landed on his ass. Jim barely had time to register the pain in his backside, when Spock came running towards him to lift him out of the water and onto the grass.

“I’m fine,” Jim choked out, Spock’s hands roaming across his chest and legs. “Spock, I’m fine.”

The Vulcan huffed and shook his head. Jim sighed, reaching out for his shirt, now filled to the brim with fruits. “Really, big guy, I’m okay. Let’s get back to the cave, alright?”

Spock’s brows furrowed and when Jim made to get up, the Vulcan released a warning growl, halting Jim in his movement. A moment later, he was, once again, being lifted up and carried. Rolling his eyes, Jim settled against Spock’s chest and decided he could indulge the overprotective Vulcan one more time.

Entering the cave, Spock set Jim down beside the hollow and Jim only just had time to set the makeshift bag of fruits aside before Spock was back to checking him for injuries. His jeans were stripped away by deft hands, the soaked material flung to the side without care.  

Jim squawked when he was turned around and Spock’s long fingers prodded at the small of his back. “Okay! Okay, bad touch! Bad touch!”

Spock’s hands vanished, then reappeared, brushing over his shoulder blades in soothing circles. Soft humming filled the air, interspaced by bursts of purring, as if the Vulcan was attempting to apologise. Turning around to face Spock, Jim reached out, their fingers twining together, holding fast.

“I’m okay,” Jim whispered. “Calm down.”

Spock’s free hand settled against the side of Jim’s face, fingertips pressing into Jim’s skin with intent. Familiar warmth flooded Jim’s insides, urging his eyes to flutter shut. For a moment, he felt like he was falling, the ground beneath him breaking away. Warm lips pressed against the edge of his mouth, stubble scratching across his chin.

Something in Jim unfurled, reaching out across the golden braid between them.

Spock’s mouth brushed his own, Jim pushed back into the touch. Muffled words echoed through Jim’s mind, too quiet to understand. The vision of a deep pool of water in the middle of a desert welled up inside Jim, coinciding with the appearance of the whispering voice.

A moment later, Jim’s mind scrambled to understand what it was experiencing. He could feel Spock kissing him on the outside, but inside, he had left Vulcan’s only rainforest behind and was back home. Or so it seemed.

_Jim’s mind had turned into a corn field, a golden sea rustling in the hot summer breeze as the stalks waved at the clear blue sky. The scent of warm apple pie hung in the air, and his feet were submerged in ankle deep water. Bells rang in the distance, to the east where the sun was rising higher and higher._

_His hands were covered in fruit stains, fingers bound by a golden thread, the loose end vanishing deeper into the cornfield, as if it was attached to something else. Without another thought, Jim began to move, following the thin, yet strong twine through the endless corn maze._

_At some point, the stalks around Jim began to crumble, turning into fine sand as the water began to drain away. In the end, Jim found himself walking across the flat planes of a Vulcan desert, the red sand broken by large, cracked, obsidian stones. Following an urge, Jim brushed his fingertips over each stone, watching the cracks fill out and vanish._

_Something tugged at the yarn, Jim turned his head. In the distance, a lone figure stood atop a rock, high above the ground._

_Drawn forward, Jim began to run._

Spock’s hand dropped away from Jim’s face. Peeling his eyelids apart, Jim blinked at the Vulcan lying curled up beside him, eyes open and very much awake. Spock’s other hand was still curled around Jim’s fingers, holding on tight.

“Uh.” Jim cleared his throat. “Hey. You… doing okay?”

Spock blinked, his thumb stroking over Jim’s knuckles. “I am better than I was previously.”

Jim’s mouth dropped open in shock. “You-! Thank fuck, I thought your brain was scrambled for good for a while there!” He smiled. “I’m Jim, by the way.”

“I know,” Spock said. “We have melded twice already. Your mind is very expressive. In addition, while my behaviour was due to baser instincts, I was perfectly aware of what was happening around me. I simply unable to reign in my emotions and react with logic, as I usually would.”

Jim felt his cheeks grow warm. “Oh. Wait, you read my thoughts?”

“Not on purpose. I assure you, however, that there was nothing I saw or heard that would warrant you being embarrassed,” Spock answered, a crease forming between his brows and Jim was certain he caught a flicker of shame in Spock’s dark eyes. “It is I who should be ashamed. I carried you away, kissed you and joined our minds without your consent. Furthermore-”

Jim huffed, shaking his head. “It’s fine. I mean… it’s… not like it was all bad. I got to see the rainforest, instead of sitting in some boring hotel room. The melds were a little weird but still kind of awesome, and so were those kisses. I mean, have you seen yourself? I need to congratulate your parents when we get back, they did a good job making you.” He gave an awkward laugh, before a wry grin stretched his mouth. “Although, I have to say, it makes me feel a lot better knowing for sure that you were still aware of what was going on. I was freaked out about taking advantage of you, you know?”

Spock raised an eyebrow and Jim just _knew_ his face must be resembling a very ripe tomato by now. “I see. You are quite attractive yourself, Jim. However, I was not finished. Not only have I melded with you twice, without outright asking for permission, it also appears that we formed a spontaneous bond due to our highly compatible minds.”

_Bond?_

Jim opened his mouth to speak, but no sound would come forth for a long moment, his eyes skittering across the planes of Spock’s face.

Finally, a sound somewhere between a squeak and a groan escaped Jim’s mouth before he managed to speak, “Are you serious? We got mind-married in the middle of a rainforest while you were just two straws short from suffering actual brain damage? I can’t believe this. I just eloped with the Ambassador’s son by accident.”

Spock gave a heavy exhale, the Vulcan equivalent of an exasperated sigh. “We did not ‘mind-marry’, Jim. We bonded spontaneously. Which is, while not a common occurrence, something that occasionally happens between two minds as attune to one another as ours.”

Face flushed and hands sweaty, Jim averted his gaze with a huff. “Okay, I think we need to have a long talk about this.” He rubbed at his eye. “Let’s start from the beginning; what exactly happened before you decided to kidnap me?”

Spock inclined his head. “While on my way to the embassy, my hover car was rammed into by another vehicle. I swerved off the road and I lost consciousness for about 2.3 minutes. This is where I believe I sustained the head wound. When I woke, I was able to escape my attackers. However, I am unable to recall how I have managed to do so, since I distinctly remember at least five, masked individuals attempting to force me into their hover car.

“Since I had already been fairly close to the rainforest, I found myself moving towards it, in hopes of losing my pursuers in the thicket. Once I entered the _Masutra t’Laplar_ , I proceeded to walk until I found this cave. There are some things I do not recall, however. For example, I do not know how I found my way to the embassy, nor do I understand why I felt the need to stay out of sight.

“I can only assume that the injury compromised not only my shielding, but forced the most basic instincts to the forefront of my mind, while such things as logical thinking and civilised behaviour were cast to the back.” Spock’s voice dropped even lower as he uttered the next sentence. “I believe it is also why I could not suppress my desires to touch both your body and mind.”

Jim’s cheeks grew hot, feeling strangely pleased at what he was hearing. “It’s fine, you always stopped and backed off when I told you to. I mean, it was kind of odd at first, but… I actually thought it was kind of nice, in an innocent kind of way, you know?”

“Still, I must apologise for my lack of control,” Spock’s fingers twitched where they were resting between Jim’s, sending a spark of electricity skittering up Jim’s arm. “It was certainly not your intention to be bonded to an almost stranger by mistake.”

“No,” Jim answered, shrugging as he smiled. “But I’m not angry that it happened. I like you, a lot, and… maybe now that you’re verbal again, we can get to know each other? Once we’re back at the embassy, of course!”

Spock’s eyes softened and his other hand moved to touch Jim’s hair. “I… would find that most agreeable.”

“Great! You… do remember the way back, right?”

If Vulcans had been prone to doing so, Jim was certain Spock would have rolled his eyes right then. “Yes, Jim.”

They continued to speak for a long while after that, exchanging tales and tentative kisses in the sanctuary of their cave. At some point, when neither of them could think of a reason to speak aloud any longer, the kisses turned into something less hesitant.

Jim indulged in every tiny urge that had formed itself in the past day, running his fingers through Spock’s hair and tweaking the tip of his ear. Spock appeared to be doing the same, lips brushing each mole and freckle along Jim’s throat, one hand placed over the hard thudding of Jim’s heart, still much slower than the rapid pump of Spock’s own heart.

They explored one another with slow, deliberate movements. Jim’s legs were soon wrapped around Spock’s waist, hands kneading the Vulcan’s broad shoulders as Spock nipped marks into the golden skin covering Jim’s collarbones.

Spikes of pleasure shot down Jim’s spine, his hips arching into Spock’s heavy body above him. Jim let his eyes flutter shut when Spock dragged them upright, his bottom cradled within the basket of Spock’s folded legs, Jim’s knees spread on either side of Spock’s torso.

Broad hands moved, one shifting to cup Jim’s face, Spock’s tongue rasping against his own, still not an ounce of hurry in their movements, as the other hand dropped to wrap around their straining lengths. Their kiss turned clumsier with every upwards stroke, a mess of lips and teeth, Jim’s nails digging into the hard muscle of Spock’s back while the Vulcan looped an arm around Jim’s waist.

Their link was wide open by the time they found release, Jim held tight against Spock’s chest until their shuddering ceased.

Leaning back, Jim could not help but give a breathless grin at the sight before him. The tips of Spock’s ears were a fetching dark green, his shoulders covered in the crescent marks of Jim’s nails and a dazed look upon his face.

“That,” Jim said when his breathing had returned to normal, “Was awesome.”

“I concur,” Spock rumbled, voice rougher than before, a twinkle of amusement brightening his eyes.

Jim laughed.

It was when the sun was already lowering down towards the horizon, that Spock and Jim managed to force themselves apart and out of the hollow to wash and dress. Spock opted to carry Jim’s backpack, now heavier since it was filled with a small amount of unpeeled _gespars_ and _krays_ , in case they got hungry on their way back.

The way back turned out to be a torturous hike through the underbrush that seemed never ending to Jim.

Although the air was not as hot as it had been yesterday, Jim still found himself tiring quickly. Jim’s boots kept getting stuck between roots, causing him to trip more than once, and Vulcan’s higher gravity was taking its toll on his body. To make matters worse, Spock’s head wound made itself known once more, but did so through a pounding headache instead of deactivating his logic.

By the time they reached the edge of the forest, night had long fallen and Jim was clinging to Spock’s back, half-asleep.

The embassy was brightly lit and Jim could not help the groan of relief tumbling from his mouth at the sight. “Finally.”

Spock nodded, allowing Jim to slide off his back. “Indeed.”

Hand in hand, they began to move again, making their way towards the embassy.

A loud rumbling sound rolled across the sky, halting them in their tracks. A drop of water landed on the tip of Jim’s nose, and he reached up to wipe it away on instinct before realising what was happening. Moments later, the sky tore open and they were soaked through in an instant.

Jim turned to look at Spock, finding the Vulcan’s eyes already on him. For a second, Jim thought Spock’s mouth might have turned upwards into an actual smile, just before his eyes fluttered shut as their lips met once more.


End file.
